This invention relates generally to off-highway vehicles and other heavy vehicles and more particularly to means for mounting the wheels of such vehicles.
Many large vehicles, especially off-highway vehicles such as dump trucks and other wheeled mining equipment, use a hub containing a geared final drive or transmission. One or more wheels (also called “rims”) are mounted to this hub. For maximum torque capability and durability, it is desirable to make the transmission components as large as possible while still fitting into the hub. In the prior art, the rims have been mounted so that it is possible to install and remove them conveniently. Unfortunately, this design encroaches on the space available for the transmission components and limits their size.